Baird looked at the wagon. It was a harsh project, just barely keeping shape enough to be considered a structure. He looked back at the Beanies. Possibly one of the most wonderous and cute things he has ever seen. Although he wasn't quite sold on just who these little bears were, he knew he couldn't leave while they barely had something they could call safety in this bizarre world. Now was a great opportunity to have a little fun with it, however!

    One hand petting his neck, another tapping at his whetters, another scratching at his shoulder, another placed at his hip as he pondered. "Hmmmmmmmm.. I am not too sure, maybe I could." Baird folded up both pairs and pouted exaggeratedly, "Naah.." A classic jest, he'd play up being uninterested. In whatever way the Beanies respond, whether respect or persuasion or cleverness, he would give it up and energetically agree to help in the end.

    Whenever the merry few got to taking care of the carriage, Baird would pull from every bit of experience he had. Fixing and building walkways in the trees of his home. The occasional construction job he'd join. He wasn't a crafter like he was a cook, but he wasn't a layabout. He took to the task with care so that (hopefully) nothing that Demony suffered would happen again.

The Beanies' eyes glistened with desperation as they put their paws together in a pleading manner as they heard Baird's initial response.
"""(No?)""" Tears would collectively well up on the Beanies' eyes when they heard the "Naah.." from Baird. Then Baird agreed to help them, and they rejoiced and ran up to him to give him Beanie hugs. Demony wished the Beanies' emotions would stop fluctuating so much; nothing was worse than a glimmer of delightful despair turning into harmless hope.

The Beanies then fetched their wagon blueprint and tool pouch, thankfully located on the shelf rather than the collective wooden mess. They then unrolled and inspected the blueprint for a short while, coming to the conclusion that the incident was a result of a structural issue - there were not enough supports for its size, causing the loads to be disproportionately focused at the center supports which gave way yesterday. Since they pretty much had to rebuild the platform anyway, they decided that maybe they should take the opportunity to upgrade the wagon outright and began brainstorming how best to do so.

In the meantime, the Beanies would ask Baird to help pull out the piles of furniture stacked atop one another to assess the damage as well as figure out what could be reused, occasionally giving him instructions on where to place the objects, how to place them to prevent further damage and so on. Once they worked out their game plan, Star and Chili would pounce to work on clearing the carriage alongside Baird while Goody worked on drawing their new wagon blueprint based on their brainstormed ideas.

Eventually, thanks largely in part to Baird's assistance, the wagon was cleared and they could now determine what they would need to buy. The platform planks were practically totalled, as was the support beams that ran under it. The furniture was largely intact aside from the splinters that cut into it so they weren't much of an issue. The dollhouse was less sturdy due to its intricacies, but luckily it was a house-shaped dollhouse that opened up rather than one of those open house types, so damage was largely limited to the exterior.

"Star-plush would like to ask Mr. Baird to accompany the Star-plush in buying wood," Star came up to Baird with an arm raised.
"Goody and Chili will work on fixing the furniture," Goody and Chili waved at Baird to communicate what they're doing.

    A nice excursion to acquire materials sounded quite pleasant to Baird. He stretched big, sighed gruffly, and nodded proud. "Sounds like a plan to me. Perhaps something nice to spruce up the small space will show up along the way. Y'know, like a painting or a set of flowers, something. I think it'd be nice, anyway." He then follows in Star's lead to the storehouses. As they make their way out, Baird turns to wave with at least half the excitement Goody and Chili present.

    The first thing notable of the journey was the bewildering sight between the two, Star and Baird. Almost immediately as they move towards the city structures, people can be seen from a distance spending an uncomfortably long time facing their direction. Baird isn't new to this, but he hopes that real trouble will be alleviated by such an adorable companion beside him. Similarly, he also hopes that the innocent maliciousness of people looking to bother Star would be mitigated by the titanic boar-monster-man walking beside them. So far, and indeed for some time, he would be wrong at this presumption.

    For this very moment, Baird once again sought to chat with one of the intriguing new friends, "Well, Star. Do the Beanies enjoy music? You know how to play music or want to know?"

Star was used to being stared at. It was nothing new, though travelling alongside a large companion certainly made for material for wild imaginary scenarios. Still, though, there was naught they could do to stop being a Beanie, and naught Baird could do about himself (if he even had the desire to), so the only thing for Star to do was to hold their head high and march on. Unbridled confidence was normally a good way to get people going through the motions long enough for one to get what they needed done.

"We love music! Music can spark joy and share emotions! We don't really play much though." Star raised, then shook their paws to hint at their physical limitations. Lacking fingers meant plucking strings in a complex manner was an impossibility, as was playing multiple keys on a harpsichord or similar instruments without external assistance.

Soon, Star and Baird would arrive at a wood storehouse where they would happen to find the merchant who sold them the wagon in the first place.
"No refunds!" The merchant tut-tutted at the little Beanie. "Your companion isn't going to help you either, little bear- Hey wait, where are you going?" He scoffed at Baird, but Star just ignored the prick and started looking at the wood that was available for purchase. No point wasting their breath when they hadn't the slightest idea how the laws even worked on Sol City. Star compared the listed dimensions drawn up by Goody and the woods stacked relatively neatly around the storehouse, and went around pointing at the wood they needed.

"I'd like one of this, one of this, and one of that please." Star told the merchant without betraying any hint of annoyance they had for him. The merchant was unnerved for a moment, before surmising, perhaps, that the bear had the memory of a goldfish and tried to overcharge them.

"It says 1, 2 and 3 Solars each, so shouldn't it be 6 Solars?" The Beanies might not be able to read, but they had quickly picked up on the symbols based on observing market interactions and working what meant what from there.

---

In the meantime, Goody and Chili were continuing with their repair job just fine, and Demony continued to lay unconscious on that shelf the Beanies left them on.

    A jaunty traipse that'd almost make them forget the trials of alternative life. Star's response brought a satisfied smirk to the boar's face, "I'm in the same boat! Though, don't spread this around, I can belt a couple good shanties."

    Sadly the pleasant trip would have its heckler, the hawker of fourth-passed crafts and weathered wooden works. He smelt of sleaze. Baird was not so surprised by the honestly typical street-shop introduction, but it did take him off-guard hearing it from a supposed established seller of staple goods. Baird stares down at the man after Star walks passed unfazed. Inside, the beastman envied Star's ability to present the bitingly cold shoulder to those that deserve it.

    The seller looks puzzled in the direction of the Beany, but then notices Baird standing--unmoving from in front of him. Looking up at Baird, "What, you wanna make out? I'm trying to run a business here." He didn't get a response. For an uncomfortable few seconds, Baird lowered down very slowly to level with the fella. A quick, blank-eyed smile from the boar was met with a furrowed brow facing back. Then the friend of Star stood back up and went to join them.

    Looking from over the cuddly-plush shoulder, Baird did his best to decipher the schematics of the wagon reconstruction effort. Once again the remarkable capability and maturity of Star at picking the right boards got an impressed pout from the beastman. His raised brow crashed deep over his eyes once he heard the pricing. [Six Solars for a few planks? That is almost a fifth of the price of a brand new wagon!] It was clear this guy rips people off, maybe even the Beanies too already. Baird wasn't feeling like remaining pleasant about this.

    The salesman wrung his hands hearing the values being counted together, "Yes, that is correct! I even have barrow to carry it with, I'll loan it to you for a Solar an hour." 

    Baird stepped between the two. He really wanted to be more direct, and he would have been, but he didn't want to embarrass Star. Using his rapidly dwindling restraint, he simply put out a low hand, "Keep back. I'm going to discuss with my friend, then we talk."

    The merchant grimaced scornfully as Baird turned without concern. Kneeling down to whisper to his new friend, "That is way too much for a few boards. This guy is a hack, and I want to help. I can try and get municipal support later, but for now we could probably get him to straighten his act so we can get back to building. Up to you." While conferring the decision, the man tries to listen in, but Baird stamps a meaty hoof at the approach.

"_{We'll need evidence then.}" Star whispered.
"Mr. Merchant! Could you please produce the schematics for the wagon?" Star inquired. "Now that I think about it, I might need more wood, but I need to be sure."
"10 Solars." The merchant replied in an irritated tone now that Baird was in the way of further fleecing these gullible customers.
"Oh, that's odd. I could've sworn that there was a law about providing schematics when selling wagons," It was a bluff, but Star had no interest in buying any more wood from what Baird suggested was a dishonest hack.
"What? Prove it, you little prick!" The merchant retorted angrily and attempted to snatch the Beanie into the air before remembering Baird's presence and backing off.
"Well then, I suppose you wouldn't mind coming with us to the city hall?" Star formed smiley eyes. "Surely you don't expect me to produce law documents out of thin air." Star tilted their head in a questioning manner with round googly eyes, subtly mocking him in the process.
The merchant looked around trying to call for security, but it seemed whatever underpaid security he had hired were disinterested in getting involved and remained conveniently out of sight. Defeated, the merchant went to the back office and produced a scroll.
"Here you go. Don't think I'll forget this," the merchant uttered menacingly.
Star opened up the scroll to check that it matched the specifications they'd worked out on their own and said, "Thank you Mr. Merchant!" in the most innocently sweet tone they could muster and left the shop and began heading back to their wagon.

"Thanks Mr. Baird! Now we just need the contract and Star-plush thinks we should have a decent case. Hopefully. Star-plush doesn't know how Sol City law works." Star cheerfully gave their thanks and spoke of their next move.

The two would return to the wagon, where Goody and Chili seemed surprised at the lack of wood, but when Star explained the situation they understood quite immediately and Goody fetched the contract.

"Just to be safe, maybe Mr. Baird should read through this before we do anything else." Chili chimed in. Legalese was annoyingly confusing, after all, and there might be enough leeway for the merchant to be getting away with what he was doing.

    Baird began to get a bit sheepish at the request as he gripped the contract and began skimming what he could understand, "Ah, um.. oof, okay, I mean, I'm no law-man or detective or anything but I'll-" Then the words he was reading started to become sentences. "-I... uh.." The sentences started to become terms, restrictions, and waivers. "..I.. can't believe this garbage!" Then it became clear as crystal.

    The document was full of ridiculous binding declarations almost immediately.
[The signee is forbidden to exact legal repercussions unto Riko's Arbor Emporium LLC.]
[Purchases, whether providing of expected goods or not, cannot be refunded.]
[The signee accepts all liability of damages to any person(s) and/or property(s) caused by products of Riko's Arbor Emporium LLC, whether due to negligence or purposeful action by either party.]
[Any breach of this contract will be persecuted by the full legal authority. Any costs incurred to Riko's Arbor Emporium LLC are to be paid by the signee related to any such respective case.]
[The signee accepts the above-market price set by Riko's Arbor Emporium LLC. The limit set by the Capitol Landing Commerce Adjudication does not apply for products purchased by signee.]
    
    No, Baird is no law-man or detective, but he is also not a rug. No one gets to walk over those he cares about, especially when this is sheer blatant fear-mongering. "This contract is practically one giant threat! It says that if you do anything, you are going to be punished excessively. I am not sure if he even hired an attorney to go through this. It reads like he got a legal team from the same quality as his own shop. No court would listen to this drivel! Says here that he is 'allowed' to just ignore the price limit on his goods!"

The Beanies were now mighty angry at being taken for a ride. Or well, as angry as cute little teddy bears could be. Which was to say, not as angry as they could really be. Wait, what? Demony was roused from its unconsciousness as it sensed an invigorating surge of overflowing rage. So, the Beanies have learned that they were screwed and were now seeking justice? Blegh. Demony still couldn't really move, so it had little recourse other than to hope they get wounded tight and sent tripping in multiple red tape.

The Beanies had to go to city hall together, however, since all three of them signed the fraudulent document, so they asked Baird to help them stuff all their furniture back within the confines of the wagon, giving precise instructions on how best to position them, akin to playing a three-dimensional version of Tetris.

With that done, it was time for city hall... But before that, they ought to have a little meal. Can't go to war on an empty stomach, after all. Star and Goody took out more bread rusks to nibble on, while Chili looked to Baird with an expectant look, hoping to see him whip out more scrumptuous foodie magic.

    What a day it was shaping up to be. The hour had reached its zenith. Shadows formed by downcast gleams like calves seeking nurture beneath their mothers. The octuplets that followed Baird's movements swam over packed dirt, then sand, toward the shoreline by the docks. The tide was lapping softly, foam bubbled and bobbed with the cresting waves. No better time to fish.

    There was a jetty for small vessels to moor away from the larger, higher traffic of the docks proper. Baird strutted with determination to a point along the walkway. He then ran, dove, and sailed through the air like a breaching orca in a walrus disguise. The water caved outward from the meteoric impact, to then collapse into a liquid spire. Above the water held little sign of there ever being a 'Baird' at all. Underneath, however, was a new predator on the prowl for delicacies. The boar waded with remarkable expertise^[1] and picked at all sorts with his mitts. Vegetation, mollusks, and the occasional crustacean. He found it easiest to catch fish with his mouth, the large space pulling water like a vortex while his hodgepodge teeth grip easily onto scales. It doesn't take long for a bountiful sea to provide fruitful harvest for the semi-aquatic beastman.
    
    Rising as the swamp-thing he is, Baird walks upon the shore. All the soft bits of his finds spiked upon the lizard-like spines hidden within his ridgeback. The hard bits cupped within sizable palms. Startled locals would watch with vague discomfort as he strolls back toward the Beanies camp. Now came the time of a hearty luncheon!

    All said and done within an hour: a platter of vibrant wrasse and flounder, clams, all cooked in tallow and served alongside kelp salad and roots Baird rationed for these types of occasions. The whole process being described to any of his new friends, if asked. As a promise from their guest before he headed out, he'd put together anything Chili could find along the shops in town if seafood were not to their liking. As a promise to Goody and Star, "We ought to find a confectioner while we are taking care of business. Allow me to get you two something in the meantime." 

    Time was not really a concern, Baird believed. Soon justice would be delivered.

---

^[1]Webbed Digits (metaphorical)

"SEAFOOOOOOOOOOOOD!" Silly Baird. Chili loved and practically lived for food! They would gorge on anything that seemed remotely palatable in a heartbeat even if not presented in an appetizing manner. Chili was squeeing excitedly and asking a million questions about what anything even was while watching with bated breath Baird's preparations of an undoubtedly delectable cuisine. Goopy slime counts as an ingredient in Chili's cookbooks, twas the extent of foodieness the Chili-plush exhibits, and one of the few instances Star and Goody would be grateful for their unusual physiology.

A confectioner sounded great! Star and Goody's eyes would gleam at the thought of sweet delights and cheer joyfully! Their motivation for justice (and the return of their unfairly appropriated Solars) grew ever stronger, and the Beanies would circle around, each put one of their paws together, then raise them and shout "Let's do this!" Then they would traipse back into the city like the little plushies they were, an adorable contrast to the fires burning in their souls. Demony wished the Beanies would just shut up for once, all the perky, zesty emotions was making it want to gag.

Eventually, the Beanies and their fellow friend would arrive at the city hall, where the Beanies passionately explained their dilemma and even showed and elaborated on the contract and the blueprint, only to be met with a disinterested "So?" Oh dear. The Beanies were very much unequipped to deal with indifference.
"But but," Goody started and the clerk immediately shushed the poor fellow.
"Not dealing with this. Out."
"Pretty please?" Goody was on the verge of tears now.
"Save your tears for someone who cares."
"Woo woo... Goooogaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." Goody broke into tears and began sobbing loudly, and Star and Chili would join them too in the childish wailing.

That would successfully lure out the clerk's superior and following a brief flash of a horrified expression, she would compose herself and rush over to the Beanies to address them. There was no telling what the Fae could do, even ones as innocent-looking and cute as the Beanies were.
"O' little Fae, what brings you to our humble office?" The superior tried to stay as composed as they could.
"Sniff, sniff... A mean merchant tricked us out of Solars..." Goody squeaked, the highlights on their eyes moving animatedly as though it were drawn rather than reflections of true light.
"Also, the merchant is selling defective goods," Star snapped out of their tears and went into business mode once they realized they had attention, unnerving the superior. Not one to overlook the opportunity that presented itself in a bow, Star would follow up with a scathing accusation. "Is this how Sol City treats its guests? Are we not worthy of your attention just because we are a trio of walking, talking teddy bears?"
"That the city would allow fraud to go unabated is unacceptable! We heard this city was the most civilized and advanced among all, and yet you would not provide us proper hospitality!?" Chili joined in on the fun, riling up their emotions for all to hear.
"Oh no, we wouldn't dare! Please, please, come this way." The superior, now panicked, corralled them into their room, where the Beanies would finally have proper attention and the desired restitution for the injustice wrought their way.

The Beanies, now with a large pouch of Solars, would join Baird in their search of a confectioner to celebrate their hard-earned(?) victory.

    Baird had delighted in sharing the meal with Chili once more! Every step was meticulously executed and explained, every question was a light of curiosity that shimmered its reflection within the boar-cook's eyes. Occasionally looking over and seeing Demony moving like it smelt a can of rotten eggs stirred a sympathy in his heart. Baird knows what he would do if he couldn't readily get food, and he prefers to bury that different beast deep. At this angle, he begun to understand why one would be so mean-spirited. He also found himself staring with great wonder at continuing to see the small magical creatures put down food as though they were flesh and blood like him. What interesting new friends that Baird finds!

    With the conclusion of their lunch and the beginning of the legal dispute, Baird simply waited at the entrance with arms behind his back as the Beanies conducted their business. The receptionist being so combative had him nearly step up, but he locked eyes with all the security in the room and knew he wasn't going to help. Quickly, however, the situation turned and the trio proved themselves more than fine enough at handling things themselves. Baird would nod with a brightly satisfied smile at seeing them lug the heft coin purse as a result.

    With a fist raised up, Baird had but one question he already knew the answer, "Who's up for some tarts, strudels, and sweet rolls!!? We can also look for some decent wood while we get our snack on!" Confidently, he turned to head out and banged his snout with a solid thud on the almost tall enough doorframe. He rubbed and groaned, but turned the same smile at his companions and laughed it off.

    The city was bright and lively, folk enjoying the afternoon as supply carts came in with various goods on delivery. Baird took a big whiff of the gentle air. Indeed there was much to detect: taverns spilling with the scent of booze, animals gnawing on pungent grasses, meats spinning over crackling fire. Amongst it all were stalls practically shoving honey-crusted dough, a bakery dabbing cheese frosting on a loaf, and a pie shoppe glazing their crusts with butter. Baird would point these out as his nose and eyes told him.

    As they would go about indulging in the gorgeous city's services, Baird would converse, "What gets you guys up in the morning? I mean to ask what do you aspire to and what gets ya to reach for it?"

Demony had been watching Baird lackadaisically, given its inability to do anything due to its condition, when suddenly, a flare of anger would spark in its being, as though it had picked up on the sympathy the boar-like creature was directing at it. It swore to itself that one day, one day it would claw the porcine abomination into bits and pieces.

"Tarts?" Star started.
"Strudels?" Chili seconded.
"Sweet rolls?" Goody thirded.
"""We are!""" The Beanies cheered in unison, completely forgetting that they also needed to buy wood for their wagon and fully focused on fresh pastries.

Needless to say, Chili wanted to try literally everything they saw and Star and Goody had to restrain them as par for the course for all things Chili, consigned to squeaking impotently and looking on with forlorn, wanting expressions as Baird described all the undoubtedly delectable delights being crafted as the Beanies walked along. Goody had been hoping to find gingerbread, but being the seasonal cuisine that it was, it was not to be. Feeling deflated as they recalled that gingerbread castle inside the Fae portal, Goody was disinterested in picking anything out for themselves, leaving Star to pick out a strawberry tarte tatin for Goody, a black forest sweet roll for themselves, and a cheesy meatball sub for Chili, along with a milk-cream strudel to celebrate the occasion.

In regards to Baird's question, Star and Goody would look at each other and then nuzzle one another lovingly while holding hands in front.
"Being together with Goody-plush!" "Being together with Star!" The two echoed in perfect synchronisation.

"Food!" The one word that served as Chili's motivation for practically everything in life. "Find food, cook food, eat food! Learn skills to get better food!" Simple, yet a never-ending struggle that cycles and wanes, but never really goes away. Aspirations would come harder for Star and Goody. Star wanted Goody safe and happy, and they were prepared to do whatever it took for that, even to the extent they might be seen as overly protective. Goody... just wants to see people happy, and their fellow Beanies safe and sound and enjoying life. It didn't exactly make for self-improving material though. While there was in fact something else deep within them that felt so very close, it was too far for the two to grasp the answer as of this moment. The two would end up coming off as thinking deeply and failing to come up with anything satisfactory.

    The culmination between millions of lives for tens of thousands of years: A chance at this peaceful revelry. The might of destruction ebbs and flows but it cannot halt life's thirst for the warm sun, filling bread, and laughter of good company. Baird would listen to the Beanies bite into flaky delicacies as he sips at a beverage of flavored cream. He'd sit with his soft smile, eyes fixed on the drink between his oversized fingers, feeling alive. Yet an unease eats at Baird as they celebrate. [Am I getting too gentle? How much of this luxuriating makes me so?]

    There was still work to be done before the day's end. The boar places down the emptied mug, "Where do you think we could procure more wood? Did you hash out something to show our shady dealer? Could be another supplier around the harbor if not." Plenty of light out, sky is remaining fair. And there were calls to answer still. Something in Moonglade ought to pop up soon, passing conversations about the harvest.

The Beanies haven't been around Sol City for long enough to know much. Probably about a week at most, in fact. They were pint-sized greenhorns suddenly thrust into the world of Charon, and the fact that they'd somehow managed to secure a wagon and get the law to sway in their favour in that span of time was a feat of its own. Still, though, that did not translate to being savvy enough to understand the intricacies of the largest city in the world, oh no, not even close. Their little feet meant that it was hard to cover much ground in a reasonable amount of time, and Demony consistently refused to cooperate in that aspect leaving the Beanies little choice but to trudge around on their own.

The Beanies would be in luck yet again though as they enjoyed their celebratory desserts while observing the bustling activity in the ports, spotting carts of wooden logs being lugged from ships into carts to be delivered inland. Granted, they were probably exported wood, which meant higher prices, but perhaps wherever they were being carted to might yield some fruitful results.

And so the Beanies would suggest to Baird that maybe they could follow the wood and see where that leads them. If he agreed, they would be walking to what appears to be an industrial area for processing and carpenting.

    Baird gladly agreed to learn more about the city together. They may all be a bit bumbling, but it was towards a form of progress that quieted his anxious thoughts. Off they went to follow the tree-felling fellows foisting firs further inland!

    While on the way, Baird pondered his company more consciously than before. The way they seemed to ebb and flow between adorable, simplistic chaos and some clandestine understanding of themselves and the world. It was like watching a lion play with mice, the roles comedically inverse to what one would expect. Cute when they roll over and mew, but then they realize that playtime may be over. Suddenly they shift into an unassumingly formidable force. Surely they can't be terribly dangerous, but cunning is the sharpest knife in the cupboard, his mother would say. Their infectious charms and well-meaning demeanor so far, however, eased the beastman away from seeing himself ever being subject to their cuddly wrath. Hopefully. He'd have to see another day what these little ones truly plan on doing with themselves.
    
    The bundle of silly creatures made it to the lumber processing facility. A vivacious sawmill and treatment industry with a carved sign out front: [GESTALT WOODWORKS] The carts lined up beneath a pavilion, unloaders came out and begun transferring the cargo, copies of the ship manifests were handed to staff handling inventory. Such a smooth operation. If nothing else, the Beanies were sure to get perfect boards to befit their purpose!